Libby was at her desk daydreaming. Turning a pencil over and over in her hand, imagining the way Markos had ripped the stinger from Scorpos and used it to kill his own soldiers. Five minutes ago she had been playing with a paper clip, wondering what Markos would make of this neat, twisted little bit of metal. Surely he would have some clever thing to say.
Before that she had been thinking of Markos’ kisses, how he instinctively understood which parts of her body to enflame and when. She could make him feel so strong and yet so weak. He could make her so hungry for sex that she was ready to dig her nails into his powerful body and yet he could restrain her with a word, a look, rendering her helpless and completely captivated.
Libby snapped the pencil and tossed it in the trash. This was no good at all. It had been two weeks now since she left Constellia and still she could think of nothing but the handsome, stubborn centaur. Look at this work on her desk! A higher pile than she had ever faced in her life. Even Frank was feeling sorry for her. He hadn’t given her a new case—wacky or normal—all week.
Things were getting worse too, not better, and she had nowhere to turn for help. It was like she had become this totally different person, starry-eyed, not able to focus on her work. Last week on impulse she had jumped into a fountain, fully clothed.
“Sorry, kiddo,” Aggy had said. “This is a little above my pay grade. In my profession the bogeymen are supposed to be fake.”
Markos was anything but fake and he was a long way from being a part of her past. Constantly she thought of him and when she wasn’t thinking about his life and what he was doing she was thinking of things to tell him and share with him about her own.
A couple of times, in the middle of the night, in moments of sweaty, pre-orgasmic weakness, she had actually sought to transport herself back. She still had his clothes, which were in the hotel when she transported back moments after she left, but the scent of him had faded after a few days.
In a vain effort, she had tried to teleport her own scent, masturbating for him, legs wide open, hoping he would breathe her in and come for her. Things like that never happened, though did they? Sure, the universe might dump you off in some Mad Hatter world every now and again but you could be sure you would come back empty-handed, with nothing but a broken heart to show for your troubles.
She checked her watch. Eleven-thirty. A few more minutes of staring into space and she would go have some lunch. Then it would be off to court to try and sound like a real lawyer.
How boring it was to be in a courtroom with only one judge—two-handed—and to have only humans for opponents. She had had to catch herself once from objecting on the grounds of the district attorney behaving like a scorpion.
“Miss Daniels?” she heard Kevin at the door.
“Hey, Kev, what’s up?” Libby looked up from Mt. Suicide, shifting a pile of folders so she could see him.
She knew from the frown on his face it was not good. “Don’t tell me,” she said hoping for something small and easily fixable. “Somebody superglued Judge Waller’s gavel again?”
“I wish.” Kevin shook his head, not a trace of levity. “I’m afraid we have a situation out front.”
In other words, something no one wanted to deal with so they were going to try and stick her with it.
“Kev, can I take a rain check? I’m sure there will be another nice disaster by tomorrow.”
“Sorry, kiddo.” Vinny Pirelli appeared in the doorway, the blue shirt of his police uniform contrasting to the white of Kevin’s. “This one’s got your name written all over it.”
“Really? You found a plane to skywrite ‘sucker’ over the courthouse?”
“Less mouth,” said the hardnosed cop aiming a thumb over his shoulder. “And more action.”
Libby blew strands of hair from her face. Had anyone else ordered her around like that, including her boss, she would have told him to take a flying leap. But Vinny was different. He was one of those quiet heroes, who did his job and never asked a man or woman under his command to do anything he wouldn’t do himself twice over.
“You owe me,” she said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail for the occasion.
“I’ll buy you a nice steak,” said Vinny, giving her a wink.
Libby grinned. “I’m holding you to it.”
If Markos were an Earth policeman, she decided, he would be like Vinny. Only a lot better-looking.
“What’s with the skirt?” Vinny asked, as if that could possibly make any difference right now. “I didn’t know you owned any.”
“I’m full of surprises,” she said as she tromped down the hall in her heels, brand-new, an inch taller than anything she had ever owned before.
She had gone shopping shortly after she got back from Constellia. For some reason she needed to feel more feminine, lighter, prettier. It wasn’t to impress anyone in particular, at least not on this world.
“So are you going to brief me or not?” she asked as Vinny took up his place beside her.
“We got us another ‘interplanetary traveler’. Claims he knows you, won’t talk to anyone else. Harmless enough, I would really hate to see him in the system.”
“You got to do something about that soft heart of yours,” Libby quipped.
“Not to mention my soft head,” he chuckled.
“Good grief.” Libby got a look at the situation by the front entrance. “Who is it out there, Elvis’ space ghost?”
The courthouse rotunda was standing room only. There were attorneys, cops, even judges. They were all staring in Libby’s direction, grinning. If she didn’t know better she’d think it was some weird surprise birthday party.
“Watch out,” said Vinny. “Clear the way.”
Several of the officers helped with crowd control, making a path for Libby to get to the front door. Of all days not to have called in sick, she sighed.
The sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky. She shielded her eyes, wishing she had rolled up the sleeves of her new white blouse. “Where is he?” she wanted to know.
“Down there,” Vinny said, pointing.
Libby saw a small crowd of policemen, mounted officers, some on horseback, others standing beside their mounts. They were talking all at once, quite animated to a man standing in the center. She couldn’t make out details but there was something rather familiar about the whole thing.
One of the mounted officers saw Libby coming from the building. He pointed, getting the attention of the man. The policemen moved aside, making way.
Libby squinted, trying to see. The man was walking toward her. He had long tawny hair, tied back behind his head. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo and he was…barefoot.
Libby’s heart leaped to her throat. It couldn’t be, could it?
She tried to run down the stairs but her shoes were getting in the way. She took them off, throwing them up to a laughing Vinny.
“Be careful,” he cried as she charged down to meet Markos.
Markos was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. She wanted to leap into his arms, but he stopped her. “Wait, Libby, not yet, I have something to say.”
Libby watched as a burly, helmeted officer in jack boots came up holding a dozen roses and a huge box of candy. “These are for you,” he said gruffly. “From our friend Markos.”
Libby accepted them with a small smirk. “Are you trying to get me into bed again?” she asked.
Markos lowered himself onto one knee. “No, Libby, actually I am trying to get you to marry me.”
Libby’s mouth dropped. “Did you say…marry me?”
He must be using the wrong word, she thought. He was confused about Earth customs.
Markos paused, digging in his pocket. He produced a small wooden box, beautifully carved with inlaid stone. He opened it revealing the most incredible and amazing ring she had ever seen.
The gem was an opal, set in gold. The gold was a mix of white and yellow, though it was reflecting other colors, too.
“It’s your birthstone,” said Markos. “The Mother of the Librans herself provided it for me.”
Libby was breathless, she could hardly speak. “Markos…this is…too much.”
Markos raised a brow. “It is hardly for you to say what is too much. The whole of Constellia believes you are worth this and infinitely more. And so, by the way, do I.”
Libby put her hands to her mouth, drawing a deep breath. She needed a little space. “Could we have a little bit of privacy?” she asked Vinny.
Vinny raised his arms. “You heard the lady, back off, you mugs.”
They started moving back, the policemen, the horses and all the rest.
It was like some kind of bizarre chess game.
“Markos,” she said when they were reasonably out of earshot. “Can you tell me, please, what is going on? We agreed, you would stay in your world and I would stay in mine.”
He gave her that damnable Sagittarian leer, cockeyed, charming as hell. “I got bored.”
“No, Markos.” She pulled him to his feet. “I’m not letting you get away with that. Do you think this is a game? Do you think you can woo me until you get bored again and then leave me? What do you think you’ll do on this planet, anyway? Sell insurance?”
“If I have to.”
Libby threw up her hands. “You don’t even know what insurance is.”
“No,” he agreed. “But I do know one thing.”
“What?”
He took her in his arms, kissing her like he meant it, kissing her like he was here to stay. She tried to hold back but he gave her no choice but to melt into him, soul to soul, her smaller female form protected by the frame of his larger male one.
It all felt like a dream, the heat, the warmth, the synchronized beating of hearts. But could it ever be real?
“Markos, oh god, I missed that,” she exclaimed. “And I don’t want to lose you, I never meant what I said back on Constellia, you know that. I just didn’t want you to be bogged down with me, I wanted you to turn back into your centaur self and stay that way.”
“I know that, Libby, and I never meant to be cruel to you, either. From the moment you left I was miserable. I wandered the woods alone and each day I grew worse and worse until finally I got Argos to send me here, to you. Who I am only makes sense with you, Libby.” He took her by the shoulders. “You know my heart, you make me real.”
She shook her head. “I’ve seen you running, galloping, fighting, you aren’t a man.”
“I will become one, Libby. That will be the one challenge I could never find at home. I will have the adventure of a lifetime, here, with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, it would be an adventure, all right. Fifteen bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom, stockings hanging everywhere. Kind of a comedown for the Scorpion Slayer.”
Markos took her hand. “Let me put this ring on you, fulfill me. I will take it all—the shampoo, the conditioners, the shockings—and consider myself the luckiest being in the universe as I do.”
“That’s stockings,” she corrected. “Although getting shocked might be less painful than a life with me.”
“Just tell me that you will be my woman, forever, Libby, and make me happy.”
“And the rest of the Metropolitan area, too,” she quipped, noting the huge audience. “No pressure on me, right?”
“Suppose I tell you we can have it all, Libby?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you sleep at night, don’t you?”
“Theoretically. Although I’m not sure how much sleep I would get with you around.”
“We would sleep fine and we would dream and be able to go to Constellia, to meet my friends, to go anywhere we want, by mind link.”
“And you would be able to be a centaur?”
“Absolutely.”
Libby nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell you what, I will agree to an engagement, just so everyone will go home. That will give us time to get to know each other, the right way. Assuming everything still feels right, we can marry when we are both ready.”
“Very well, how about tomorrow?”
“I was thinking more like a few months, actually.”
“Or next week.” He took her hand and put the ring on it.
It was a perfect fit.
“You see, Libby,” he said, smiling. “Nature always finds a way.”
She kissed him before he could say anything else. “I’m not letting you get the last word, not this time.”
“What’s the verdict?” called out the captain.
Libby held up her hand, her finger snugly clad in the opal ring.
A cheer went up from the assembled policemen and civilians.
“When is the date?” Vinny shouted.
“Never mind that,” called a security guard. “Where’s the honeymoon going to be?”
Libby flushed. “I think that is our cue to get out of here.”
“Damn straight it is,” said Frank, coming down the stairs behind him, his tie askew and his shirt rumpled as always.
Libby cleared her throat. “Frank, this is Markos. Markos, this is Frank, my boss.”
“We’ve met,” said Frank.
Libby raised an eyebrow. “Is there anyone in my acquaintance you don’t know?”
“I got here a couple of days ago.” He shrugged. “I’ve been working on things.”
“Everything but the shoes,” she teased his lack of footwear.
He noted her own bare feet. “You should talk.”
“Oh,” she laughed. “I forgot about that. I should get them.”
“No, you don’t,” said Frank gruffly. “You may consider yourself on immediate mandatory vacation.”
“Frank, I can’t,” she said. “I have so much to do.”
“You let us worry about that. You have accumulated leave coming, so use it. And if you’re smart you’ll elope while you’re gone. Planned weddings are for the birds. I’ve had three, I should know.”
“We haven’t made any plans, Frank.”
Markos swept her off her feet. “But we will, very soon.”
“Markos, put me down.”
He kissed her, this time getting the last word. “Stop thinking so much.” He nibbled at her earlobe. “It is time to go and make love.”
“Yes, Markos.” She sighed, touching his cheek, her eyes watering. “Oh, please, yes.”
* * * * *
Libby took him home, deciding the relationship warranted at least that much. Any intentions of showing him her apartment right away were squashed as he pressed her against the back of the door, deep kissing her.
Not that she minded having his attention on her as opposed to her furnishings.
“You look different,” he said, clasping her waist possessively. “No pants.”
“Do you like it?” she asked breathless.
“Does this answer your question?”
“Oh god, oh god, yes,” she gasped as he ran his hands up her thighs, under the hem of her skirt.
“This is very convenient.” He slipped his hand down the front panel of her panties. “I think I shall have you dress like this all the time.”
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself.” She squirmed against his fingers. “Aren’t you?”
Markos turned her about, hoisted the skirt up her back and delivered a hard smack to her silk-covered ass. “Am I?”
“Ow,” she cried. “That hurts.”
Truthfully, it didn’t hurt that badly, but she was enjoying the game, the show of playful force. Just how much was Markos willing to do to sweetly dominate her?
“That is nothing,” he informed her, “in comparison to the pain I have felt in my heart and in my cock from having been denied you these past days.”
Her body went weak. This was exactly what she needed to hear. Still, she was greedy for more. “Markos, you’ll have to learn patience. I’m an Earth woman, we don’t come cheap or easy.”
“I don’t consider you to be either one,” he said. “But I do claim you as mine.”
Her heart thundered as she felt him grip at the waistband of her panties. The material tore like paper in his hands.
“This ass.” He grabbed her cheeks. “Is mine. This pussy, too.”
“Yes…yes…” she writhed as he masturbated her, slowly, decisively.
“I came from beyond the reaches of imagination, Libby, for you. To treasure you, honor you…ravish you.”
“Oh, yes, Markos, do that, ravish me, please…”
He lifted her up like a rag doll and turned her once more so her back was to the door. His fingers moved to unbutton her blouse but she stopped him. “Too slow, just rip it.”
Markos demolished her new blouse and the bra, too. So too, the skirt. She had on nothing but her shoes.
“You, too,” she cried, doing her best to strip him naked.
Markos shredded his jacket and shirt, proving that he had retained at least some of his superior centaur strength. The last thing to go was his pants and underwear. He took care of these as well, splitting them along the seams.
“I hope there wasn’t a deposit on the tux,” she quipped.
Markos lifted her up by the waist and onto his cock, his hands cupping her buttocks. “I paid for it in diamonds.”
She wrapped her legs about him, securing herself. “We really need to get you a credit card,” she moaned.
He pinned her once more against the door, flattening her breasts, turning her nipples to superheated points. “You are changing the subject.”
“What…subject?” she breathed.
“Your clothing and how you will wear these skirts from now on.”
“Oh, Markos, yes, if it pleases you.”
He pumped his cock in and out, decisively, masterfully. “It pleases me to see you displayed and to have it easily accessible.”
She kissed madly at his face. “You know I could never deny you. I am yours, yours alone.”
“We will do this often,” he told her, his shaft swelling and heating as he moved.
“Yesss,” she hissed. “Oh, yes.”
“Come for me, woman,” he commanded.
And Libby did, her entire body spasming against him, the volcanic outflow radiating from her pussy to the tips of her fingers and toes. She clutched at him, squeezing, holding for dear life.
When it was all over, when the last of the waves had passed through her she could feel that Markos was still hard. He hadn’t come yet. She sighed in happy anticipation.
This had only been the appetizer…
“Where is your bed?” he wanted to know.
She pointed toward the bedroom. “Back there.”
“Never mind, too far.” Markos took her to the living room couch instead, blue velour and quite posh. Her ass sank deep into the soft material as he lowered them both down, changing their position to horizontal. He came at her furiously, like a man possessed. His cock rocketed down into her over and over until her teeth were gritted with reemerging need.
Libby braced her palms underneath her, pushing up her pelvis toward him. She was coming again and she needed to be as merged as she could, their bodies as fused as their libidos.
This time she wasn’t the least bit quiet about it. Hopefully none of the neighbors were home from work.
“Markos, oh god, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.”
He arched his neck, letting out a sound of pure male triumph. “Yessss…”
Then he slammed himself home one final time, erupting into her. Libby came again with him, the sensation doubled, tripled as he took her breast into his mouth, biting down.
Just hard enough to make her body scream and fight and yield.
Over and over she felt it, waves of surrender and waves of ecstasy. She thought of the seashore at night, where first she had met Markos in her dreams. The centaur, cloaked in shadow beneath the moon of blue on crystal sands. The lover she desired but could not quite have. The wrong species, the wrong time and place…same old story.
And now they were one, coming together, sharing the bottomless pleasures of sex and love.
For what else could you call it when two being can’t keep their hands, or hooves, off each other even when they are worlds apart…literally?